Cabinet structures



Dec. 25, 1956 J. F. ETHERINGTON CABINET STRUCTURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed April 8, 1954 INVENTOR. JuHN F E'rmznmmnn W ATTORNEY De c. 25,1956 J. F. ETHERINGTON 2,775,500

CAB'INET STRUCTURES Filed April 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 'JuHNF ETHERIHETUH AT TURNE Y United States Patent CABINET STRUCTURES John F.Etherington, Syracuse, Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The MurrayCorporation of America, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of DelawareApplication April 8, 1954, Serial No. 421,881

4 Claims. ((1312-2259) This invention relates to appliance cabinetstructures,

and more particularly, as illustrated to a cabinet for a mechanism. Itis therefore desirable, not only to be able to remove the cabinetstructure, but to do so without having to necessarily move theappliance.

The present invention is directed to a cabinet structure, whichisreadily removable from the mechanism housed within. The inventionfurther relates to a removable top panel or deck, so devised as to befreed for removal from readily accessible locations atthe front of thecabinet structure. The invention further has to do with a cabinet sidewall assembly detachable from positions forward of the rear of theapparatus and removable as a unit without requiring the movement of theapparatus from its position or away from a wall. The invention furtherrelates to a structure in the form of a unit that may be assembledduring manufacture with economy.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear morefully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understoodthat the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and arenotdesigned as a definition of the limits of the invention, referencebeing had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical cabinet.

structure to which the invention may be applied;

A Figure 2 is a side elevational section compressed and with parts shownin section;

yFigure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a broken section taken substantially on the line 4-4 ofFigure 2;

' Figure 5 is a top plan view of the cabinet with the top removed; and

Patented Dec. 25, 1956 The deck may be formed from a single sheet ofmetal and may also be provided with an access door 18 on the topthereof. The front and side walls of the cabinet may be formed of asingle sheet of metal sometimes referred to as a wrap-around. The lowerportion of the front panel 20 is cut away and provided with a removablepanel structure 22 having an inward offset 24 adjacent the floor,providing toe space.

The lower panel structure 22 comprises a front wall 26 acting as a lowercontinuation of the front panel 20 and an inwardly extending portion 28and a toe panel 30..

The lower panel 22 further is provided with side cheeks 32 which areadapted to interfit with a rectangular notch 34 cut in each of the sidepanels 36 and 38.

The mechanism housed within the cabinet is supported upon a base frame40 which is rectangular in shape and may be formed of angle irons, theupstanding flanges of which define the marginal dimensions of the base.

Rigidly mounted upon the base in any suitable manner is a large wash tub42, the upper rim of which lies substantially in the plane of the upperedge of the wraparound 20 or thereabove. The upper rim has an annularoffset 44 (see Figures 5 and 6) which stilfens the rim. The wrap-around20 along its rear edges 46 and 48 is inwardly. flanged, and a back panel50 is mounted underneath such flanges, and may be secured thereto byspotwelds or any other suitable fastenings. The back panel 50 willextend upright into the marginal flange 14 of the inclined deck portion,and the flange 14 is provided with a further depending flange 52 whichis adapted to embrace the upper edge of the back panel 50. t

The upper edge of the front 54 and sides 36 and 38 of the wrap-aroundare inwardly flanged as at 56, 58 and 60 to form a seat, and across thefront corners thereof, there is provided in each a diagonal brace 62 and64 respectively, such braces being spot-welded to the respective flangesin the manner shown. Each of such braces as is shown in Figure 6, isprovided with an open box bracket member 66 suitably welded to the braceand extending to the rim of the tub 42 where the same is secured to thetub rim by a removable threaded fastening 68, preferably in the form ofa screw, such screw being threaded into the flange 70 of the member 66or being provided with a 1111i.

One of the side panels such as 38 is provided with an additionaldiagonal brace 72 extending to the back panel 50, and such brace isprovided with a bracket 74 adapted to be secured to the rim of the tub42 by a threaded fastening in the form of a screw 76. The deck 10 andparticularly the flange 16 extending across the front and sides thereofhas along its lower marginal edge an inwardly directed seating flange78, such flange being similar to and being adapted for resting upon theflanges 56, 58 and 60 of the front and side Wall wrap-around.

The flange 78 in the rear extremities as at 80 is adapted to rest uponflange 60 and to be slid under an angle clip member 82, the verticalportion 84 of which may be welded to the back panel 50.

The top deck 10 underneath the flange 14 may be provided with two ormore angle clips 86, a resilient portion of which extends downwardly andparallel to the depending flange 52, such clip being spaced from theflange 52 by the approximate thickness of the back panel 50.

From the structure thus described, it will be seen that by raising thefront of the deck structure, the flange 80 may be withdrawn from underthe resilient tongue of clips 82 and thereafter the flange 14 liftedfrom the back panel 50. Thus, by such movement the deck may be securedat the rear to the remaining structure or quickly released.

In order to hold the top deck down at the front and to the side wallwrap-around, in such a manner that the same-may be detached from aconvenient location-at the front of the cabinet, there are provided apair of elongated screws 88 and 90 which extend through the flange SS-and into threaded members or collars such as -92 secured to theinwardly projecting deck flange 73." The elongatedscrews are providednear their upper endswith'a head washer 94 forming a collar or shoulderadapted to engage the flange 58, such washers being retained in place byupset wings 96-formed in the shank portion of the screws 88 and 90. Thehead end of the screws 88 and 90 extend downwardly through an aperturein the lower flange 98 f the front panel and through agrommet 100 seatedin an aperture in the flange, 98. A. shoulder ring 102 is mounted oneach of the screws 88and 90 to. allow the screws to drop a distanceequal approximately tothat portion of the length of the threaded end atthe upper end which would normally project above the level of the flange58, so that when it is desired to remove the top deck, it is merelynecessary to loosen the screws 88 and 90 from below and allow the sameto drop a distance such that the threaded points ofthe screws 88 and 90are free of the threads in the collars 92.

As will be understood, the lower panel 22 is held in place by oneor morescrews such as 104 threaded into the frame 40, and the upper .end of thepanel has an inwardly extending flange 106 adapted to match the lowerflange 98 of the front panel, and the flange 106- of the lower panel 22is provided with one or more pins 108 integrally secured thereto andadapted to project through aligning apertures in the flange 98.

Thus it will be seen that the lower panel 22 is readily removable byremoving the accessible screws 104 and dropping the same with referenceto the main front panel 20: Thus access to the screws 88 and 90 is hadso that such screws may be loosened and dropped from the deck flange 78.whereupon the deck may be lifted at its forward edgeand the. rearportions thereof disengaged first from the resilient clips 82 andthereafter from the upper edge 'of the back panel 50. Upon the removalof the deck 10, the. entire wrap-around assembly and back panel mayberemoved from the base 40 and the mechanism which it surrounds, byremoving the screws 110 holding the side panels .to the frame 40 and byremoving the screws 68 and the screw 76.

It will. thus be seen that there is nothing to prevent the lifting ofthe front and side walls and rear panel upwardly over-the mechanism sothat the entire mechanism withinthe cabinet. structure will becomeimmediately accessible.

Access to the mechanism in this manner is had without removing the framefrom its position on the floor or withdrawing the frame and themechanism from the back wall in any manner, since there are nofastenings whichqface-to the rear of the cabinet structure which requireattention.

It will be readily understood that when itisdesiredto.replacenthewrap-around and back panel assembly upon the base' andaround. the. apparatus, it is merely necessary to lift the assembly andlower the same around the apparatus, and thereafter insert the sidepanel screws 110: and the screws 68'and the screws 76. Thereafter thedeck may be placed in position by lowering the rear edgethereof over theback panel 50 and sliding the flanges 80 beneath the clips 82.Thereafter the elongated screws 88 and .90 are raised and threaded intothe position to hold the forward edge of the deck in place. Thereafterthe lower panel 22 is projected upward so that the pins 108 align intheir respective apertures in the flange 98, and the screws 104 are theninserted and drawn tight.

While the invention has been described as particularly useful forservicing automatic apparatus of the type referred to, by reason of thefact that the entire cabinet structure maybe readily rernoved witha-minimum of effort, little time, and without movingthe apw, paratusfrom its normal position or location, the structure facilitates initialassembly during the manufacturing process. In other words, once theapparatus has been assembled upon the base and adjusted, it is merelynecessary to lower the wrap-around. and rear panel as a unit upon theassembly, securing the same in place and thereafter placing the deck inposition, securingthe same and finishing with the mounting of the lowerfront panel. Thus the location of the apparatus and its levelingadjustment on an uneven floor need notfbe disturbed, and the apparatuscan be adjusted and tested in its permanent position.

Although a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that the invention is not limitedthereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will beapparent to those skilled in theart, reference will be had to theappended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l.- In an appliance cabinet structure, in combination, a base frame,upstanding mechanism rigidly mounted on said frame, acabinet sidepanelassembly comprising front, side. and rear panels arranged around saidmech anism and frame, said. side panels being detachably securedat-their lower ends to said frame, and at their up:

per ends vto saidrnechanism, the front panel of said assembly beingcutaway near the bottom thereof to.-

form a toe space, saidfront and side panels being flanged inwardlyaround their upper edges, and said rear panel projecting above saidysideand front panels, a deck member adapted to be seated on said flange andhaving an inclined rear panel iadaptedtonembracethe upper edge of theprojecting rear panel, said deck member having a side skirt, andinwardly directed flanges adapted to seat upon; the flangesof said frontand side panels, and means on saiddeckmember for receiving the upperedge. of said rear panel, and means associated with said side.panel'flanges; adjacent the rear panel, for gripping thedeckmernber'flange tov restrain upward movement thereof, and fasteningmeans having an end accessible from the toe space and associated withsaid front panel on the inside thereof extending from the bottom thereofand adapted to passthroughsaid front panel flange and secure thefrontdeck flange thereto wherebyupon loosening said fasteningmeans, said deckpanel may be lifted nism and frame, said side panels being detachablysecured at their lower ends to said frame, and at their upperends tosaid mechanism, the front panel of said assembly being cutfawaynear thebottom thereof to form a toe space,

said front and side panels being flanged inwardly around;

their upper edges, and said rear panel projecting-above said side andfront panels, a deckmember adapted to be seated on said flange andhaving an inclined rear panel adapted to embrace the upper edge of theprojecting.

rearpanel, saiddeck member having a side skirt, and

inwardly directed flangesadapted to seat upon-the flanges of said frontandside panels, andmeans .on said deck member for receiving the upperedge of'said rear panel, and means associated with: said side panelflanges adjacent the r'earpanel for gripping thedeck' member flange torestrain iupwardmovement thereof, and fastening meansh-aving an endaccessible from-the toespace and associatedwith said front panel on theinside thereof extending from the bottom thereof'and' adaptedto passthrough:

said front panel flange and secure the front deck flange thereto, and alower front offset panel adapted to be pinned to the lower edge of saidfront panel and secured to said frame, and adapted to conceal saidfastening means.

3. In an appliance cabinet structure, in combination, a base frame,upstanding mechanism rigidly mounted on said frame, a cabinet side panelassembly comprising front, side and rear panels arranged around saidmechanism and frame, said side panels being detachably secured at theirlower ends to said frame, and at their upper ends to said mechanism, thefront panel of said assembly being cut away near the bottom thereof toform a toe space, said front and side panels being flanged inwardlyaround their upper edges, and said rear panel projecting above said sideand front panels, a deck member adapted to be seated on said flange andhaving an inclined rear panel adapted to embrace the upper edge of theprojecting rear panel above the level of said flange, said deck memberhaving a side skirt, and inwardly directed flanges adapted to seat uponthe flanges of said front and side panels, and means 'on said deckmember for receiving the upper edge of said rear panel, and meansassociated with said side panel flanges adjacent the rear panel forgripping the deck member flange ends to restrain direct upward movementthereof, and fastening means associated with said front panel on theinside thereof extending from an accessible location at the bottomthereof and adapted to pass through said front panel flange and securethe front deck flange thereto.

4. In an appliance cabinet structure, in combination,

a base frame, upstanding mechanism rigidly mounted on said frame, acabinet side panel assembly comprising front, side and rear panelsarranged around said mechanism and frame, said side panels being securedto said frame and said mechanism, the front panel of said assembly beingcut away near the bottom thereof to form a toe space, said front andside panels being flanged inwardly around their upper edges, and saidrear panel projecting above said side and front panels, a deck memberadapted to be seated on said flange and having an inclined rear paneladapted to embrace the upper edge of the projecting rear panel, saiddeck member having a side skirt, and inwardly directed flanges adaptedto seat upon the flanges of said front and side panels, and means onsaid deck member for receiving the upper edge of said rear panel, andmeans associated with said side panel flanges adjacent the rear panelfor gripping the deck member flange to restrain direct upward movementthereof, and fastening means associated with said front panel on theinside thereof extending from the bottom thereof and having a threadedend adapted to pass through said front panel flange and secure the frontdeck flange thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,729,268 Henderson Sept. 24, 1929 2,323,765 Haberstump July 6, 19432,414,163 Barnsteiner Ian. 14, 1947 2,441,563 Clark May 18, 19482,654,643 Burke Oct. 6, 1953 2,672,390 Blashfield Mar. 16, 1954

